First Year
by Smapdi
Summary: The airplane was not the first time they kissed. For The First Time collection on AO3. When this collection was mentioned to me by the lovely HelenVanPattersonPatton, it made me want to go back and visit the first first for this pair - when they first met. Forgive me if I've taken some liberties on how medical residencies actually work, because I learned all I know from TV.


"You're a resident now. You've made it through some of the hardest years of your life and guess what? It's only going to get harder. You won't get to sleep. You won't get to eat. You're going to want to quit every single day. Doctors will hate you. Nurses will hate you. Patients will hate you. But you're going to keep coming back, and you're going to earn their respect, and..."

"Excuse me, love, but who are you talking to?"

Mindy Lahiri jumped a foot into the air, her locker door clanging as it slammed backwards and then smacked her in the shoulder. The lilting voice that interrupted her monologue was as smooth as silk, as was the tall doctor who stood behind her, an impish grin on his very handsome face.

This was lost on Mindy at first. "You scared me to death!" She shrieked with a hand over her racing heart.

"My apologies. That would be a terrible loss." The man said, shaking his head but still smiling as he reached out to shake her hand. "Dr. Jeremy Reed. You're a first year resident, correct?"

"Yes. Mindy Lahiri. Nice to meet you." Mindy blushed furiously at his touch. He was like a romance novel hero come to life - devastatingly attractive, suave, charming, and his accent? Instant panty dropper. This could mean trouble.

"I think you'll find residency isn't all nightmarish slavery. There are certain perks from having to be in these close quarters..." And then he winked, which would be slimy if it weren't from such a hottie. As cheesy a cheeseball this Jeremy was, he had the goods to back it up.

Just then, two more doctors entered the locker room.

"I'm just saying, you move to a new country, you need to learn a little of the culture." The smaller of the two men, dark haired and sweaty, was gesturing to emphasize his point. "It's never okay to bring a god damned goat on a train!" The older man accompanying him just chuckled and moved to another aisle.

"Danny! We have a lady in our presence. This is Mindy. Please conduct yourself appropriately." Jeremy tugged Mindy's hand and brought her closer, somewhat possessively. She glanced up at him and grinned before turning her attention to the other doctor.

Though a bit rumpled and clearly cranky, he was an appealing little package of eye candy, with his muscular form and very masculine features. A bit too grouchy for her taste, but Mindy had a way of infecting her surroundings with her special brand of cheer, so she knew she would win him over too.

Danny looked her up and down dismissively. "Daniel Castellano, Senior Resident." He damply shook her hand and turned away.

"Nice to meet you." She said to his back. "...Danny." He looked back to see her smirking and gave her a curt nod before returning to his locker and ignoring her.

Sixteen hours later, Mindy had collapsed on the couch in the doctor's lounge. Her early morning pep talk to herself had proved prophetic, despite Jeremy's claims to the contrary. She had already gone through two sets of scrubs, cleaned up poop, pee, and various other bodily fluids, and just when she thought she would finally get to participate in an actual surgical procedure, that Castellano guy had stepped in and she was sent for coffee.

The only bright spot had been Jeremy, who fawned over her with that delicious voice of his, but every time she tried to bask in his attention, she would feel the steely glare of that little Mussolini, standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't her boss. Dr. Schiff did seem to adore him, but that didn't put him in charge, and Mindy didn't know what his deal was, except that his panties seemed to be in a perennial bunch.

Speak of the devil. Danny walked into the lounge, wiping his brow, and headed to the vending machine. Mindy squished herself further into the cushions in hopes he would just miss her completely. She was just a bit too tired to be Miss Congeniality right now, and heaven forbid she give him the impression that his grumpiness was contagious. He walked by her, but when he groaningly slumped into the chair that sat nearby, he looked up and caught her eye.

He stared blankly at her disheveled presence for a moment and grunted something that sounded like "Hey." Then he looked into his bag of chips as if they contained the secrets of the universe.

Mindy assumed a sitting position and straightened herself up. Danny may have been an old curmudgeon, but he was still a pretty hot doctor and even more importantly appeared to be quite smart. If he was a favorite of their boss, it would be wise to get on his good side. Plus, once he stopped being ornery, he looked like he had potential. A little short, perhaps, but Mindy wasn't blessed with height herself, so she thought she might fit nicely tucked under his chin.

If he'd at least look at her.

"So, wow. Pretty busy for my first day. I thought I'd never get to sit down." She smiled, tilting her body towards him, twisting a lock of her hair. Danny just mumbled "huh" and shifted in his seat.

She tried again. "It's so exciting, though. The hustle and bustle of a busy hospital, people dashing around, all the noise and then suddenly quiet. I can hardly believe I'm here in all this!"

No response. He had turned his chip bag around to read the ingredients. Mindy stretched and yawned, tempted to poke him with her foot, anything to get a response.

"Don't you remember what it was like your first day as a resident?" She persisted, and apparently it was enough to make him snap.

"Yes, I remember. I just came in and did my job and didn't complain. I didn't babble about it to anyone who was stuck listening, and I certainly didn't throw myself at my colleagues."

Mindy was struck dumb for a moment as she stared at him, mouth gaping. She found her voice quickly. "Excuse me? I was just trying to be friendly! How rude!"

Danny grimaced at her while wadding his chip bag into a tight ball. He stood up,and chucked it in the garbage can and turned to her. "Friendly." He repeated, using air quotes. "You must make friends very easily."

"As a matter of fact, I do!" It dawned on Mindy a moment too late that he meant something else entirely. She was attempting a sputtered retort when Jeremy walked in, oozing with charm.

"Hello gorgeous. Look at you, still fresh as a daisy after endless hours of drudgery."

Danny showed the first non-irate emotion by laughing mockingly. "Hey, look, it's your new 'friend' Jeremy."

Mindy looked at the floor. Yeah, she had flirted back a bit, but honestly, who wouldn't, and it was all in fun. "Well, at least someone tried to make me feel welcome." She glanced from Jeremy to Danny and then away, nervously fussing at her hair.

"Danny, have you been expressing your anger issues on this poor girl? It's her first day, give her a break." The taller doctor slipped an arm around her shoulder. "There, there, darling. Danny gets in a mood sometimes. Often, in fact."

Danny grunted and stormed out, with just a brief, unnoticed glance back. Mindy was shaking her head. "I don't know what I did to upset him. I was just trying to make small talk."

"Small talk. Well, he should be good at that." Jeremy chuckled. "Never mind him. He's just going through some personal issues right now. Divorce." The last word was said in an exaggerated whisper.

"Well, that's a shame and all, but it's not my fault." Mindy slipped out of his grasp. "I'm going to go see if there's a free bed in the call room and try to get in a nap."

"Want some... company?"

Mindy laughed and shook her head. That can of worms did not need to be opened on her very first day.

The next few days were a blur, but once Mindy got a little more used to the crazy schedule and had a chance to sleep in her own bed, it wasn't so bad. Red Bull was her best friend, and she started to feel more confident that she wasn't really in way over her head. Her morning rounds had gone well and she was proud of her participation as she correctly diagnosed several patients and her treatment plans were soundly approved of by Dr. Schiff.

She even got to assist in her first delivery, which was super exhilarating, especially after having spent the morning dealing with the horror that was an elderly obese woman with a rager of a yeast infection. Her long shift was over and she was about to change out of her scrubs and about to head home. She just had a couple of notes to make first and then she was free for a few hours of blissful sleep in her own bed.

Looking up, she saw Danny leaning against a nearby locker. She smiled bravely.

"I just brought my first baby into the world, Danny. There is nothing you can say that will spoil this amazing feeling."

Danny just looked at her and she started to feel a little uncomfortable. He looked tired, but his face looked much softer and even a bit kind, which made him even more good looking, and that was disturbing. She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not here to give you a bad time." He said tentatively as he ran a hand through his shiny black hair that needed a trim. He had a days worth of stubble on his cheeks as well, with a touch of gray dotting his chin. It was not unattractive. "I actually... I want to apologize."

Mindy smiled, mimicking his pose against the lockers. "Really."

"Look, I was... I was a little harsh with my judgement the other day. You didn't deserve that. It looks like you kinda know your stuff and I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about your intentions here." He looked like the words he was speaking were really painful to admit, and that delighted Mindy.

"So you decided maybe I didn't go to four years of medical school just to hook up with hot doctors?" She smirked. "I guess I could have just become a nurse if that was my goal."

To her amazement, Danny's face cracked into a lopsided smile, and he shook his head. "That is so incredibly offensive to nurses."

"Good thing you aren't a nurse." Mindy chuckled.

"That is a good thing." Danny met her eyes and there was a moment where Mindy actually felt a little flutter in her stomach. He had such nice eyes when they weren't glaring at her. "Hey, a bunch of us residents are going over to the Rusty Nail to grab a drink. You're welcome to join us..." His gaze flicked down and up her body, just a quick flash, but enough to make her feel a little self conscious with her dirty scrubs and messy hair.

"Oh, thanks..." She looked away. "I'm pretty worn out. I think I'm just going to go home and sleep. Maybe next time?"

Danny nodded slowly, and that damned smile briefly graced his lips again. "Okay then. Have a good night."

Mindy smiled to herself. There was another can of worms...

It was hard - crazy hard - but she fell into a rhythm, getting used to the lack of sleep, the terrible nutrition, the gaping maw of time as the days blurred into each other. But she was doctor now, she reminded herself when things started to wear on her. It felt strange to be lonely when she was hardly ever alone, but she didn't have have time to date, and though she had offers of temporary companionship, she turned them all down. Jeremy was a dog, a purebred, Westminster champion but a dog just the same, and it was oh so tempting, but Mindy was pretty sure she would end up being lonelier than ever if she succumbed to his wiles.

There was finally a moment when the stars aligned and she had two actual days off in a row. She slept till her back ached, so she went and got a massage, and it was awesome to feel someone else's hands on her flesh again, even if it was a Swedish girl whose name sounded like some kind of pastry. Then she got her nails and hair done and went shopping for something that wasn't yet another set of scrubs and hell, she felt like a woman again.

But now, all she knew was the hospital. She had gone out for drinks with her fellow residents a few times before, and while occasionally even some doctors had joined them, Danny never had, not that she really noticed. Or cared. She just found it odd, but Jeremy just made a face when she had asked him and said this wasn't his scene.

So Mindy took her fancy hair and spangly dress on a test drive at the regular spot and she wasn't disappointed. There were a few folks who she had hung out with before, in the cafeteria or lounge, or here at the bar, and they simultaneously mocked her and complimented her, and someone bought her a margarita. She had just finished the first and geared up for a second when there was a little noisy fuss behind her and she turned to see Danny approaching. He walked past her to catch the bartenders eye and ordered a beer, steadfastly ignoring her, and it's the alcohol or just her eternal need to be liked by everyone but she couldn't let it lie.

She stared at him as he drummed his fingers on the counter and glanced at his watch. When he got his beer, he took a deep swig, wiping his lips with the back of his hand, before turning around to face away from the bar. He never once looked in her direction. Mindy sighed. It wasn't like her to give up so easily, but she came out to have fun and she decided if he wanted to be a joy killer, he could do it by himself.

The next margarita was full to the salted rim and Mindy had to lean into the bar to suck in a sip before she could raise the glass, as one does not waste even a drop of free alcohol when they have student loans. She sat back and licked the salt from her lips, and her tongue was still caught in the corner when she glanced back at Danny to see him watching her. He looked away first and she thought she won somehow.

As she lifted the drink up to take another sip, she felt more than she saw him move next to her and suddenly her pulse was escalated. It was stupid, because she knew how little respect he had for her, and he was older and bitter and not at all what she wanted. But when Mindy turned again, he was close and gazing at her and when he reached out and ran his thumb across her lip to catch a bit of salt, she shivered. Then he smiled, crooked and mischievous, and she thought, well, now they're even.

"What are you doing here, Dr. Castellano? Aren't you too good for all this?" She wasn't not sure why she was suddenly combative. He brings it out in her, she guessed.

He chuckled, looking out into the crowd. "I'm just having a beer." He clinked his bottle against her glass and took another sip. "You? You're a little overdressed for this dump. Hot date?"

Mindy shook her head, self conscious again. She shouldn't let him get to her, but she does.

"Well, have a good night." Danny nodded and wandered away, so she went to find her friends, but after the second drink was done she didn't want another one. Nothing good would happen if she got drunker, since Jeremy was there, so she said her goodbyes.

The cold night air blasted her and her remaining buzz was instantly abated, but then she saw Danny leaning against the building, a cigarette between his lips. Gross, she hated smoking. But his eyes were bright and focused on her, almost like he was waiting for her, and it made her feel odd, off center. Unbalanced.

Mindy strode past him to the street, but Danny caught up to her. "I'll get you a cab." He told her, taking her by the elbow, and she was temporarily indignant that he thought her incapable of arranging her own transportation, which was funny, really, because he was actually being nice for once. But by the time she thought of something snarky to say, he had already flagged a taxi and opened the door for her.

"Thank you." She muttered as she got in, and she was just about to say goodnight when he climbed in too, forcing her to scoot or he would have been in her lap, which wasn't entirely unappealing. She gave him a look of surprise which escalated when he gave the cabbie his own address.

"I'm not going home with you, Danny!" She whispered loudly.

"I thought we could share a cab." He turned to her with a smirk as the cab pulled from the curb. "But it's interesting where your mind went." Danny's eyes roamed up and down her body appraisingly.

She frowned at him. "Look, I don't know what your deal is, buddy, but you barely say two words to me all week..."

Danny just leaned in and took her face in his hands. He was way too close for her to breathe and when she did, she could smell beer and cigarette breath and it was disgusting and so, so hot. He just gazed at her, his face inches away, and her eyes were going crossed trying to look at him.

"My divorce was finalized today." He murmured, as if that was romantic, but she could see the pain in his eyes before he suddenly, harshly kissed her, his mouth punishing her for all the wrongs that women have ever done.

Mindy made a muffled noise somewhere between a gasp and a moan and this let his tongue slip into her mouth to tangle with hers. She bit his lip and he growled before he moved one hand from her face to her hip to rock her into him. Her hands were tangled in his hair and she let herself just feel him, his stubble scratching her as he moved his lips from her mouth, down her neck, to rest in the hollow of her throat, and she almost, almost, threw caution to the wind and went with it. But that tiny warning alarm in the back of her head finally rang loud enough to cut through the lust and heat and she pulled his head back roughly just as his other hand pawed at her breast.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at him.

Danny didn't reply. He just pulled her face back to his and kissed her again, a little more tenderly this time, while his hand slipped down under her skirt and found the smooth round slopes of her ass.

She pushed him off again, shoving his hands away. "Stop. I'm a little drunk and you're a lot angry. That's not a good combination."

He stared at her, at her lips parted and swollen, and shook his head in chagrin. "You're right. I'm sorry." He turned away from her and looked out the window.

Mindy hesitated, then reached out and laid her hand on his. "Look. I think, deep down, you're probably a pretty decent guy. Whatever happened with her..." She had heard rumors, ugly ones. "Don't blame yourself."

Danny looked back at her and flipped his hand over, catching her fingers in his so he could squeeze them softly. "Thanks."

The cab pulled up to Danny's address and he paid the cabbie before opening the door to leave. He hesitated for a moment, leaning back into the cab.

"Hey, what happened tonight..."

"Forget about it. Moment of weakness for us both, okay? We can go back to work on Tuesday and you can continue to be rude to me and I'll keep on trying to make you my friend. It's like it never happened. Deal?" Mindy beamed her trademarked smile at him and it worked. He smiled back, and for the first time, she saw it reach his eyes. They were soft and affectionate, and it made her stomach flip.

"Deal." He impulsively reached out and cupped her chin, just a quick, gentle stroke, before he shut the door and walked away.

Mindy leaned back as the cab headed to her apartment. It wouldn't be so easy for her to forget.


End file.
